Compressor blades for axial compressors, which take in atmospheric air, are at risk of corrosion. The two first compressor stages in particular are problematic, since the air taken in in this region can contain moisture. In the rear compressor stages, the air is heated by the compression and is therefore dry. In practice, a particularly corrosion-resistant material is therefore used for compressor blades in the two first rows. This is intended to prevent damage caused by material fatigue as a consequence of the reduction in fatigue strength owing to corrosion. To this end, use is generally made of a duplex steel having a low 0.2% elongation limit. Steels of this type have a two-phase microstructure consisting of a ferrite matrix with islands of austenite. However, the low elongation limit restricts the permissible centrifugal force and, as a result, the rotational speed of the axial compressor. The possible structural designs of compressor blades are thus limited by the material properties, in particular in the case of what are termed lock blades.
EP 0 005439 A1 discloses the use of a ferritic-austenitic Cr—Ni steel for forged turbine blades. The document states that a blade is cut and the mechanical quality values are determined, it being necessary, with a double degree of deformation, for the notch impact strength to already be more than 35 joules at a minimum yield strength of 600 N/mm2 
JP 62187538 A, WO 03/076100 A1 and EP 0 976 469 A2 each explain the production of a product made of steel, wherein the increase in the elongation limit can be realized by plastic deformation of the workpiece.
In the case of conventional axial compressors, the rotational speed is limited, and therefore the 0.2% elongation limit is not exceeded in the compressor blades. It is disadvantageous in this respect, however, that high production costs arise in the case of correspondingly constructed lock blades. As an alternative, it has already been proposed to use a nickel-base alloy having a high 0.2% elongation limit and high corrosion resistance for compressor blades, but a nickel-base alloy of this type leads to very high costs and causes a high specific weight.